This invention relates to picture archiving and communications systems, and more particularly relates to image viewing and manipulation workstations for use in such systems.
Picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) connect to medical diagnostic imaging devices and employ an acquisition gateway (between the acquisition device and the PACS), storage and archiving units, display workstations, databases, and sophisticated data processors. These components are integrated together by a communication network and data management system. A PACS has, in general, the overall goals of streamlining health-care operations, facilitating distributed remote examination and diagnosis, and improving patient care.
PACS have only recently been introduced to the medical community. A reflection of their recent appearance may be seen in limitations inherent with many of the components used to build a PACS. As an example, the acquisition gateway that acquires raw image data from an imaging modality initially modifies the raw image data using preprocessing functions (as one example, FUJI preprocessing functions). The preprocessing functions modify the raw image data for contrast and frequency enhancements, for example, and the acquisition gateway further converts the resultant image data into a PACS compliant format, for example DICOM format. The preprocessing functions initially applied by the acquisition gateway bar the reapplication of the preprocessing functions at the display workstation. Thus, the display workstations coupled to the PACS are unable to perform sophisticated image modifications possible only by applying the preprocessing functions to the raw image data.
In other words, the display workstations used in PACS are adapted only for viewing fully preprocessed image data and performing limited image modification (e.g., contrast enhancement, edge detection, and cropping only on the image data in PACS compliant format). An initial image preprocessing decision is thereby imposed upon all subsequent viewers of the image, including, for example, doctors who will use the image to diagnose a patient. While a preprocessed image may, in fact, be adequate for a particular examination, such preprocessing eliminates the possibility for custom manipulation of the raw image data as an additional aid in diagnosis.
This invention addresses this problem and provides a solution.